DRHD: M. abscessus is not spread directly from person to person.
It causes illness most frequently when it enters wounds (traumatic or surgical) or contaminates injectable medication or medical devices that are placed under the skin.
Clusters of cases of M. abscessus infection have mostly been associated with non-sterile water, contaminated surgical instruments and injectable medication, especially injectable medication dispensed in multi-dose vials.
Dr. Matthew Arduino, CDC public health microbiologist, said the CDC only tracked seven cases of mycobacterium obscessus last year.
“We usually see these in the clusters, as outbreaks. Sometimes they’re in the community setting at foot spas, people getting pedicures and sometimes at places where people are getting unlicensed cosmetic procedures, where people are being injected with things that are supposed to melt away fat. So it’s an unlicensed individual who’s been running around giving injections and whatever cocktail they’re giving has been contaminated with mycobacterium. The other place we see mycobacterium infections tends to be with cosmetic surgery.
“This organism has a long history. It has a long history of being known as hard to treat and resistant.
“The rapid-growers tend to be more resistant than other types of bacteria,” Arduino said.